Mail-bag catcher.



D. W. COUNCIL.

MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909.

932,25 1 Patented Aug. 24. 1909.

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D. W. COUNCIL.

7 MAIL BAG GATGHER.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909.

932,251, Patented Au 24, 1909.

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DANIEL W. COUNCIL, OF RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-BAG- GATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 4, 1909. Serial No. 500,184.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL WILLARD CoUN- 011., a citizen of the United States, residing at Rutherfordton, in the county of Rutherford and State of North Carolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in mail bag catchers, and consists in certain novel constructions, and combinations or parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the character specified, which will be simple in construction, which may be applied to the car without any changes in the same, which will take the bags from the crane or support already in use, and hold it until it is removed from the holder, and which will deliver the outgoing bag, at the time it receives the incoming one.

Referring to the drawings forming a part hereofFigure 1 is a side view of a car equipped with the improvement, with the device in position for receiving the incoming bag, and for delivering the outgoing one, Fig. 2 is a similar view with the outgoing bag delivered and the incoming one caught, Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal section of the car on the line of the improvement, Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4& of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, is designed to be arranged transversely of the door opening 1 of the usual mail car 2, and consists of a bar 3, which is circular in cross section, and tapers at each end as indicated at 4.

At each side of the door opening the car body is provided with a vertical plate 5, extending from the top of the opening, to a point a little more than half way to the bottom thereof, and at a suitable height each bar is provided with a bearing 6, in which is journaled the adjacent end of the bar.

At approximately the longitudinal center of the bar an arm 7 is secured thereto, the said arm comprising a lug having openings for receiving screws 8, whereby it may be secured to the bar, an outwardly curved portion 9, which cooperates with the bar to form a recess 10, for receiving the bag 12, and an outwardly inclinded portion 11, which forms with the bar, a guideway, to conduct the bag into the recess. The arm is somewhat resilient, to better resist the shock of striking the bag, and a spring latch 13, is secured by one end to the bar, the other end extending across the guideway, and engaging the arm i near the junction of the portion 11 with the portion 9.

The bar is provided with a pin 14, on the opposite side thereof from the arm, and the said pin moves in a slot 25 in the door facing, for retaining the bar in the position shown in Fig. 1, and near its rear end the bar is provided with a buffer 15, for engaging the bearing 6 or plate 5, to absorb the shock.

The buffer consists of a sleeve encircling the bar, and provided at its engaging end with a cushion 16 of rubber or other suitable resilient material. It will be evident that by sliding the bar forwardly it may be disengaged from the bearings, when not in use, or for moving it to the other side of the car, or for reversing it, in order that it may be used when the car moves in the reverse direction. The outgoing bag 17 is provided at each end with the usual rings 18, which are engaged with the free ends of arms 19, each of which is provided at one end with a bearing 20, pivoted to the inner face of the door casing 21, by means of a bolt 22.

The free end of each arm is provided with a cutaway portion 23, separated from the adjacent edge of the arm by a shoulder 24, and the ring rests upon the cutaway portion, and is limited in its inward movement by. the shoulder. The bag is supported by one arm which is supported in operative position, by the buffer 15, and the said arms are of such length, that when the bar is moved so that the buffer is moved from in front of the arm supported thereby, it will be disengaged, permitting it to drop and deliver the bag 17.

The slot 25 before mentioned, is provided with a plate spring 26, (Figs. 3 and 6) over which the pin moves the said spring acting normally to retain the pin at the front end of the slot, but not being of suflicient strength to prevent the arm from moving when engaged by the bag. The object of the spring is to prevent an accidental displacement of the bar, from the motion of the train, or other causes. The bar is recessed as shown at 27, in Fig. 8 to receive the latch 14:, the recess being of suflicient depth to entirely receive the latch, so that no unevenness obtains when the latch is depressed, the bag sliding freely thereby.

It will be observed that each side of the Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

door casing is provided with a notch and a spring, so that the bar will be supported in the position shown and in reverse position. The bearing 6, shown in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6, is split, being composed of a section 28 and a section 29, between which the bar is received, the sections being secured to the car by lag screws 30, and the door facing, at the slot, is reinforced by a plate 31.

The operation of the device is as follows: The bar is inserted in the bearings with the sleeve or buffer 15 toward the rear, and with the pin 1% in engagement with the adjacent slot 25. The outgoing bag is engaged with the arms 19, by slipping the rings thereover, and the arms are permitted to rest against the bar and the buffers, the bag occupying the position shown in Fig. l. WVhen the bag is caught, the middle portion thereof slips along the guideway into the recess 10, and the shock moves the bar rearwardly until the bulfer engages the plate or hearing. This movement disengages the arms 19 and permits them to drop, and the rings of the outgoing bag slips from the cutaway portions, and it falls to the ground. The movementof the bar also disengages the pin 14 from the slot, and the arm is thus permitted to rotate, through an arc of 90, into the position shown in Fig. 2, the latch 13 preventing disengagement of the bag, which is retained in the recess until removed by the mail clerk. The sleeve or buffer 15 is merely slipped on the arm, and may be removed from the one end and replaced on the other. The inward movement of the sleeve is limited by the enlargement of the bar.

1 claim:

1. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with the car provided with a door opening and at each side thereof with a bearing, and a horizontal slot, of a bar circular in cross section and tapering toward each end, journaled in the bearings, an arm secured by one end to the bar and comprising an outwardly curved portion cooperating with the bar to form a recess for receiving the bag, and an outwardly inclined portion cooperating with the bar to form a guideway for conducting the bag to the recess, a spring latch secured to the bar and normally extending across the gui'deway, a pin on the opposite face of the bar from the arm and at the forward end thereof for engaging the slot, a spring in the slot for restraining the sliding movement of the bar, a buffer on the rear end of the bar, and an arm pivoted to each side of the door opening and provided with notches for engagement by the ends of the out-going bag, said arms resting againstthe buffer and the central portion of the bar, and being of a length to disengage the bar when said bar is moved longitudinally.

2. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with the car provi led with a door opening and at each side thereof with bearing, and a horizontal slot, of a bar circular in cross section and tapering toward each end, journaled in the bearings, an arm secured by one end to the bar and comprising an outwardly curved portion cooperating with the bar to form a recess for receiving the bag, and an outwardly inclined portion cooperating with the bar to form a guideway for conducting the bag to the recess, a spring latch secured to he bar and normally extending across the guideway, a pin on the opposite face of the bar from the arm, and at the forward end thereof, for engaging the slot, a spring in the slot for restraining the sliding movement of the bar, and a buffer on the rear end of the bar.

3. A device 'of the class described, comprising in combination with the car provided with a door opening and with a bearing on each side thereof, of a bar circular in cross section, and tapering toward its ends, said ends being journaled in the bearings, an arm secured to the central portion of the bar by one end, the free end extending alongside the bar and diverging outwardly therefrom, a spring latch extending across the space between the arm and the bar a laterally extending pin on the opposite side of the bar from the arm, the car having a slot on each side of the door opening for engagement by the pin, a spring in the notch for restraining the longitudinal movement of the arm, means for supporting the outgoing bag, and means whereby the longitudinal movement of the bar will disengage said supporting means.

In combination with a car having a door opening and a bearing on each side thereof, a bar circular in cross section and tapering toward the ends journaled in the bearings said bar being movable longitudinally, an arm secured by one end to the bar and diverging outwardly therefrom toward its free end, a spring latch normally extending across the space between the arm and the bar, a pin on the opposite side of the bar at the end adjacent to the free end of the arm, the having a slot extending from the door opening in which the pin moves and a sleeve on the bar having at one end a cushion.

5. In combination with a car having a door opening and a bearing on each side thereof, a bar circular in cross section and tapering toward its ends journaled in the bearings said bar being movable longitudinally, a catching arm on the bar, a pin on the opposite side of the bar from the arm, the ca r having a slot in which the pin moves, and a buffer comprising a sleeve on the bar, provided at one end with a resilient cushion.

In combination with a car having a door opening and a bearing on each side of the bar Will disengage said means and removable cushion on the arm.

DANIEL W. COUNCIL.

Vitnesses H. L. CARPENTER, R. G. HOWARD. 

